Vegetable yarn and fabric with woollike effects



Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT BODMER, OE WATTWIL, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HEBERLEIN PATENTCORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. I

VEGETABLE YARN AND AEEIc wrrn WOOLLIKE EFFECTS.

No Drawing. Original application filed April 11, 1923, Serial No.631,374, and in Germanyjpril 15, 1922.

Divided and this application filed The invention relates to vegetableyarns and fabrics with wool-like effects, such for example as cottongoods which have been treated so as to chemically structurally changethe fibres to produce permanent finish wool effects.

The production of various permanent finishes in cotton goods is known,such for example as permanent organdie effects,

1 wool-like effects and linen-like effects which have been produced byprocesses hereinafter referred to.

The object of the present invention is to improve the character andquality of permanent finish goods and also theprocess of producing same.According to the preferred manner of practicing the present invention,the hydrolyzation of the fibres by the action of a concentrated mineralacid which is used in producing these permanent finishes, is stabilizedso that the acid may be allowed to act on the goods for a greater lengthof time so as to effect a more gradual and greater penetration ofthegoods and hence a more thorough and uniform conversion of the fibres,and with much less risk of producing detrimental effects, damage or'destruction of the goods.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.631,374, filed April 11, 1923, and in this present application. I aim tocover the permanent finish wool-like efl'ect goods of the characterresulting from the process herein described and claimed broadly in mysaid copending application.

The invention consist-s in the wool-like effect fabrics and yarnshereinafter described. These are produced according to 40- the novelprocess or processes hereinafter described, by way of example, inaccordance with certain ways of carrying out the same. The inventionwill be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In order that the scope of the use and application of the invention togoods,for the production of permanent finishes may be more readilyunderstood, I will first refer to some of the prior processes forproducing permanent finishes and to which this invention is applicableand upon which. it constitutes an improvement. 1

April 12, 1928. Serial No. 631,745.

In United States Patent No. 1,141,872, granted to Georges Heberlein,there was descrlbed the, process of treating cotton fabric to producepermanent wool-like effects by subjectingthe fabric to two treatments,one a mercerizing treatment such as with caustic soda, and the other atreatment with con centrated sulfuric acid of less than 51 B. It wasdescribed in that patent specification that if cotton fabric which hasbeen mercerized and also preferably bleached, be.

subjected-to. the action of sulfuric acid of from 49 to somewhat under51 B. (the best action being obtained between 49 and B.), themercerizinglustre disappears and the fabric appears fuller, softer andmore wool-like and is generally im-' proved, so as to take on thecharacter of for example as hydrochloric acid of the specific gravity of1.19 at low temperature, or nitric acid of 43 to 46 B., or phosphoricacid of 55 to 57 B. 3

It was also pointed out in United States Patent No. 1,144,655, grantedto Georges Heberlein, that when the cotton fabric was subjected to themercerizing or caustic soda treatment and the sulfuric acid treatment,utilizing the acid at a higher concentration than that used for the wooleffect, i; e., over 50 A, B., for example, about 54 B., then the saidtransparent permanent effect or permanent organdie would result.

It was further pointed out in the United States patent to EduardHeberlein, No.

1,265,082, that the permanent transparent efiect could be obtained ifthe cotton fabric was treated for a sufficient period with the causticalkali cooled below 0 (1., and of such concentration as would mercerizethe cotton at the ordinary temperature. That is to say, ofat least 15 B.specific gravity; and that if in conjunction with the treatment of saidcold caustic alkali the fabric was also treated with the last mentionedsulfuric acid treatment, a more enhanced transparency would result.Furthermore, it was pointed out in United States Patent No. 1,439,519,to Eduard Heberlein, that when the treatments set forth in said Patent1,265,082 (i. e., a treatment with the caustic soda at a tem peraturebelow 0 C. or said treatment in conjunction with a treatment with theSUI-r furic acid of over 50% Baum, and preferably about 54 Baum) werecarried out upon yarns or webs constituted of threads whose finenessdoes not exceed English yarn No. 80, permanent linen-like effects wouldbe produced. It was also pointed out in said Patent 1,439,519 that moreenhanced linenlike effects would be produced if in conjunction with theacid treatment and the cold caustic soda treatment the goods were alsosubjected to the caustic soda or mercerizing treatment at normaltemperature. Among other Letters Patent disclosing processes producingpermanent finishes and permanent finish products and upon which thepresent invention is an improvement, I might mention the following, i.e., 1,288,884, 1,258,225, 1,285,738, 1,392,264 and 1,392,265.

In the practicing or execution of these processes it has been found thatdue to the detrimental effects that these concentrated acids willquickly produce on the goods if not very accurately controlled, it wasvery important to accurately measure and limit the action of the acid inorder to safeguard the fabric. It was therefore found to be necessary tointerrupt or arrest the reaction suddenly after an interval of time thathad to be strictly adhered to, inasmuch as an excess of the actionalways resulted in an undesirable hydrolyzation or decomposition of thecellulose. This decomposition even makes itself evident during theswelling reactions. The consequences of any excess of this hydrolyticdecomposition of the cellulose made themselves evident, on the one hand,in the form of a diminution of the toughness or strength of the fibre,and on the other hand, in the form of an excessive hardening of thefibres.

Now I have discovered that the reaction of the concentrated mineralacids on these materials, which is quite aggressive, may to some degreebe regulated and stabilized by the useof suitable heterocyclic compoundsmiscible with the particular mineral acid used, .as for example,sulfuric acid, and thereby it is possible to somewhat increase thestrength of the acid used in the sense of decreasing the proportion ofwater thereto and so decreasing the water acid ratio and the hydrolyzingaction that waterex'erts in the presence of acid. Furthermore, Ihatrediscovered that the preferred heterocyclicf compounds areheterocyclic bases such; as pyridine, etc. I have discovered that in" asurprising manner, for example, salts of pymeaoes ridine, quinolin,their homologues and derivatives, manifest the property, when added tomineral acids, of stabilizing the swelling action of the fibres due tothe action of the acid, i. e., of holding back the hydrolyticdecomposition of the cellulose so that the swelling may be completelyrealized without injurious hydrolyzation. These deterring agents, I havefound, exert a specific action in partially and temporarily neutralizinga portion of the acid without at the same time permanently inhibitingits action as would a strong alkali. I have found that certain of theheterocyclic compounds such as salts of the heterocyclic bases and theirderiva-\ lives, particularly'pyridine and quinolin, their homologues andderivatives, produce a toning down of, or a sort of retarding effectupon the reaction during the treatment of the goods with the acid, inthe sense that by their presence they retard the rate of reaction andhave thereby the great commercial advantage of allowing much more timein which to adjust and regulate the precise degree of action required toattain the most desirable appearance effects on the surface of the fibreundergoing treatment, while still enabling the core or center of thefibre or yarn to be thoroughly treated to attain more desirablequalities in the fabric in addition to the more desirable appearanceeffects.

In this manner it is possible to prolong the duration of the action tofifty times the normal period without injury to the goods beingprocessed or ennobled; and it is also possible tosafely use moreconcentrated acids for a given finish. If, for example, a mixtureconsisting of one part of pyridine and four parts of sulfuric acid of 66Baum is allowed to act upon previously bleached mercerized muslinfabric, the latter after about four minutes comes to have a transparentappearance, in connection with which a remarkable softness of effect isto be noted. Again, if for example, we operate in such away that asuitable mercerized cotton fabric is subjected for 5 minutes to theaction of a mixture of one part of pyridine and 9 parts of sulfuric acidof 565 Baum, a

pronounced softwool effect is obtained having a sort of discerniblebloom or overlaid opalescence which slightly lights up the dull tone ofthe permanent finish wool-like effects. The improvement is thereforegreater smoothness and softness to the touch-and a slight lighting up ofthe dull tone wool effect. The proportion of acid and pyridine in themixture may vary within wide limits,

according to the desired efiect and the goods to be worked up.

According to the presnt invention it is also feasible to thoroughlyimprove very compact fibrous structures, such for example as coarseyarns to produce the transparent and the wool-like efiects, whichheretofore has not been possible as regards transparent effects and hasnot been possible with some of the acids as regards wool-like efiects,since in the treatment of such'coarse yarns either a merely superficialchange took place, or in case the action of the acid was allowed to aheterocyclic base in the presence of an or'- ganic acid chloride for thepurpose of converting chopped or pulverized paper directly intocellulose acetate, is quite a different matter from that of the presentinvention relating to the ennobling or finishing of fibrous goods (yarnsand webs) to produce permanent effects thereon.

According to the present invention, in all cases in which concentratedmineral acids haveheretofore been employed for producing permanentefiects in fibrous materials, such for example as in the production ofsaid transparent organdie, wool-like effects, linen effects, etc., theacid may advantageously be used in the presence of a suitableheterocyclic compound, such for example, as the salt-s of theheterocyclic bases miscible with the acid, or, in other words, theconcentrated acids of the strengths heretofore used may be replaced by amixture of said acid and a heterocyclic base, in which case the acid ateven greater concentration may be allowed to act for a much longerperiod of time to efiect a more complete and desirable finish, withoutthe heretofore accompanying danger. As is understood in the art, it isdesirable in all instances to Wash the goods after the acid treatmentsand also after the caustic treatments when used.

For the purpose of this invention, suitable heterocyclic compounds orheterocyclic bases are such heterocyclic compounds or bases as havepyridin characteristics for the purpose, and as are miscible in therespective mineral acids with which they may be used for pro-' ducingthe particular permanent finish. Among these compounds or bases areincluded for example various heterocyclic compounds or bases containinga pyridin nucleus. For example, in the case of the use of sulfuric acid,such heterocyclic compounds or bases may be used as have pyridin characetei'istics for the purpose, and as are miscible 1n the sufuric acid, andin the case of nitric 1 acid such heterocyclic compounds or bases wouldbe used as have pyridin characteristics for the purpose, and as aremiscible in nitric acid.

suitable mineral acids are those that are capable of dissolvingcellulose fibres so as to produce a permanent efi'ect withoutdetrimental eflect, such for example, as the acids mentioned in theabove set forth United States patents. i Such features of my inventionherein described but not herein claimed are covered .by my copendingapplication Serial No.

631,374, filed April 11, 1923, for permanent finish vegetable materialand process of producing same.

While I have described my invention with particularly, by Way ofexample, with respect'to certain preferred specific deterring orstabilizing reagents, it will be understood by those skilled in the art,after understand-v my invention, that other reagents may be substitutedwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and I aimin the appended claims to cover the use of all such reagents as comeWithin the scope of I the invention. 7

What I claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

Also for the purpose of this invention 1. Vegetable -fibrous material(yarns and goods made therefrom)the fibres of which have beenstructurally altered by chemical treatment, which treatment comprises atreatment with a suitable concentrated mineral acid in the presence of asuitable heterocyclic compound having pyridin characterist1cs for theurpose, to produce a permanent finish woolike efi'ect.

2. Vegetable fibrous material (yarns and goods made therefrom) thefibres of which have been structurally altered by chemical treatment,which treatment comprises a treatment with sulfuric acid in the presenceof pyridine to produce a permanent finish wool-like effect.

3. Vegetable fibrous material (yarns and goods made therefrom) having apermanent ment with caustic alkali, to produce a wool- -likeiefiect witha bright tone.

5. Vegetable fibrous material (yarns and goods made therefrom) havin apermanent wool-like efl'ect produced byc emical treatment of thematerial, which treatment comprises a treatment With a suitableconcentrated mineral acid containing pyridine, and a treatment Withcaustic soda.

6. Vegetable fibrous material (yarns and goods made therefrom) thefibres of which have been structurally altered by chemical treatment,Which treatment comprises a treatment With sulfuric acid of aconcentration substantially over 51 B. having 10' mixed therewith aheterocyclic compound having pyridin characteristics for the purpose andwhich stabilizes the reaction of said acid on the material.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 15 name to this specification.

ALBERT BODMER.

